High Levels Of Chlorine In City Water, Effects and Solutions

People can get sick from drinking water that comes from a variety of sources, including lakes and wells contaminated with germs. As water moves through miles of piping to get to the community, it can also be contaminated by bacteria.

Wondering what type of water filter you need? We’ve shared all the most popular types of water filters, and what they do, to help you choose a water filter for you based on your budget and contaminant removal requirements.

The water filter systems in companies add a disinfectant to water to stop contamination, usually, chlorine or chloramine, which kills disease-causing bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, and norovirus. Water systems in public places are disinfected by chloramine and chlorine.

Chlorine is not harmful immediately, but it can affect your health long-term. Overly high chlorine levels can affect your health. When chlorine is inhaled in high concentrations, it can cause lung irritation, damage to the skin and eyes, and cause asthma. When your pool’s water has a high concentration of chlorine, the pH decreases, which makes the water more acidic. Acidic water is more prone to corrosion.

Below, you will find information about the effects of chlorinating water and some tips for preventing too much chlorine from being present in your water.

How does chlorination work?

In order to kill parasites, bacteria, and viruses, chlorine is added to drinking water. A variety of methods can be used to achieve safe levels of chlorine in drinking water. Chlorine is not harmful to health when used or consumed in small amounts, and provides protection against waterborne diseases.

Why is chlorine added to water for drinking?

Drinking water is treated with chlorine in order to prevent harmful microbes and waterborne diseases. While the process of treating drinking water is not new, the transition to chlorinating water sources represents a considerable shift that has huge public health implications. Water that has been chlorinated has a high level of chlorine and can even taste like pool water. 

When filtered without a carbon filter or ascorbic acid, city water may contain greater amounts of free chlorine that are not suitable for healthy consumption. Water transmission of pathogens including dysentery, cholera, and typhoid was widespread before chlorination was introduced.

Do I need to worry about drinking chlorinated water?

The amounts of chlorine found in drinking water are not toxic. The drinking water is considered safe up to a chlorine level of 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L or ppm). Any harmful health effects are unlikely to occur at this level. Chlorine is added to water in many municipalities as a means of killing harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria that can make us ill if ingested.

You can quickly learn how many disinfectants your drinking water contains by looking at the most recent water quality report published by your community water supplier.

How Dangerous is Chlorine in My Tap Water?

The consumption of chlorine in your tap water may result in negative health consequences. A few of these effects are caused by chlorine’s tendency to form trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes (THMs), including chloroform, are formed by chlorine interacting with  organic compounds commonly present in water. Such chemicals are involved in a number of undesirable effects on the human body. The following is a list of the most damaging effects of chlorine water: 

• Asthma symptoms: According to one study, swimming pool chlorine may increase asthma symptoms in swimmers. You absorb chlorine from chlorinated water through your skin as well as inhale chlorinated steam when you bathe or shower. Inhaling chlorine can make respiratory problems worse.
• Food allergies: Dichlorophenols, which are used in pesticides and water chlorination, cause people to have more food allergies. 
• Congenital abnormalities: Taiwanese researchers examined mothers exposed to trihalomethane in chlorinated water during pregnancy were more likely to have children with cleft palates, holes in the heart, or lack of brain development.

Maintaining The Level Of Disinfectants And Chlorine.

Using a good water filtration system, it is possible to eradicate chloramines, ammonia, chlorine, as well as other substances from the water. When it comes to removing harmful contaminants, activated carbon filters offer the best results. Carbon in this form is exposed to heat or oxygen to increase surface area. As a result of adsorption, chlorine and its breakdown products will be retained on the surface of activated carbon following water entry.

With a water filtration system installed throughout your home, harmful contaminants will be removed, leaving the water clean and great tasting.

Fortunately, we have adequate filtration systems designed to remove bacteria, pollutants, as well as any other contaminants in the water you drink. No matter if you need water treatment in your home or at your workplace, Springwell Water Filtration Systems is the right choice!

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